Firstly, I wanted to thank those people that have been so helpful with my 4X2 Panda and other cars. I'm not the most mechanically minded person in the world and the advice and help I've received on this forum has been invaluable. I started stripping the Sisley tonight and I wouldn't even consider such a project if it wasn't for the knowledge and experience available here.

Not that I've started I have a couple of questions. Any help is very much appreciated.

1) Repair sections. Where is the best place to get hold of some repair sections for the wings? Would I be better to get good used panels and take what I need from them?

2) The speedo cable. It's broken. Am I right in saying that it runs down to the drivers side front wheel?

3) The temp guage. Driving the car home today I don't think it was registering correctly. My other Panda quickly warms up and sits at around 90. The Sisley barely moved off the start of the temp gauge.

4) The gearbox is a disaster. It's like stirring porridge. When I put it in neutral and release the clutch it whines badly. Apart from the gear linkages what would cause that?

That's it for now.

Good evening my friend,
1.- Call Chris at Betacar, Manywells,Cullingworth, Bradford, West Yorkshire....He's shifting some old 'New' wings.
2.-Yes.
3.-check that your earth-points are clean and if so, you need a new sender unit (probably). . Just a thought, have you reverse-jetted the radiator?
4.- Oh, dear.
First check that the whining noise isn't coming from the alternator or drive chain anywhere. If it really is coming from inside the gearbox, we need to think quite deeply about this..........

Thanks pandafan. I'll certainly give Chris a call, I was actually watching his eBay shop to see if anything useful would come up.

I haven't had a chance to check the earthing points yet, I'll do that tomorrow.

When I release the clutch it definetely whines. It's quite a loud whine, not a drive belt. When I press the clutch in it goes away. New gear box?

Sounds like the clutch release bearing to me!!

my Cinq SX had exactly the same behaviour when the clutch was about to give up.

Steve C said:

3) The temp guage. Driving the car home today I don't think it was registering correctly. My other Panda quickly warms up and sits at around 90. The Sisley barely moved off the start of the temp gauge.

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It's probable the thermostat is stuck open - particularly if the radiator starts to warm up as the engine warms up.

With a good thermostat the radiator should stay cold until the engine is hot (and the gauge reading around the 90 mark), then the radiator should get hot quite suddenly when the thermostat opens.

Steve C said:

When I release the clutch it definetely whines. It's quite a loud whine, not a drive belt. When I press the clutch in it goes away. New gear box?

Click to expand...

Noises that stop when you press the clutch down are (almost certainly) coming from inside the gearbox.

before you condem the box I would have a serious look at the clutch release bearing as previously said.

Nice cheep fix if it is

More than likely the noise is the spigot bearing in the box, although the release bearing is a tiny little joke of a thing that gives up without warning and takes the pressure plate with it, they sometimes do the exact opposite of what a duff bearing normally does, ie whine when NOT under load, if this is the case it is going to let go SOON!

I can sort you out with a good clutch pretty cheaply, Steve.

On the subject of gearboxes is the oil level ok. They can get very noisy if the level is low. Even if it is ok changing the oil can bring a bit of hush. Some 3 in 1 oil can help of the gearchange linkages that arnt plastic bearings (cheers john )

Although I would certainly check the thrust bearing, I think we are probably talking gearbok here. Sorry.

At this rate I'm going to end up with Steve wanting his money back....

It's probably this "Jim touches Panda, Panda then starts costing a fortune" problem I have, except it's now spreading to the next owners.

If it does need a box, there was this one in the scrappers at Ballymoney last summer, it might still be there.

Martins number is 02827 664596



Anybody any words of encouragement?

Jim

It gets worse. It's knocking from the bottom end...

Ah c'mon.....look on the bright side.
It's a lot easier to replace the entire unit than splititting engine and gearbox !

just trying to be helpfull......................

Hi Mr Bigjawa.
If I ask nicely could you give a price for a 4x4 clutch kit like Steve I think mines on the way out to. Mind you a crunchy 3rd gear isn't helping.

Steve have you got any crunching of gears when you change up or down. My thoughts are that if your not getting crunching in 2nd or 3rd it is probably a thrust bearing problem so time for a clutch change. For the sake of £7 change the clutch cable as well. Your heating sounds like a thermostat. Your red car was doing as you have described when I first got it. The stat sorted it.
On the panel front why see if Trevor Christie has anything. 07885037361
If you want me to have a look give me a ring.

I'm happy enough with it. For all the money I paid for it the inclinometer, bullbars, sisley interior, etc, is easily worth that. I'll get it on the road if it's the last thing I do.

Stu, the gearbox isn't crunching at all, not even in third, so I'll change the clutch and see if it helps. I'll plug away at it and speak to you at the next meeting. If you here from me before then you'll know I'm in trouble.

Bigjawa, thanks for the offer, I'd be interested in the clutch.

Steve, I've got 2 1108cc engines in bits in the garage if you want any stuff.

Cheers Pete.

I didn't want to start another thread about the Sisley, so I'll post these here. Pictures of the Panda stripped. It's not pretty.

and again...